He really thought he covered his tracks, but Octavia had known the whole time. She just kept quiet, acting like nothing had happened between them.
“Octavia, I swear, there's nothing going on between Fallon and me.”
He made sure not to mention any of the other women outside their home. He knew exactly where Octavia's suspicion lay. It was always about Fallon.
Fallon had tried to use pregnancy to secure her place in his life, and for a moment, she had succeeded. But that was where Latham drew the line. He couldn't stand being manipulated, especially not with a child.
No one was ever going to force his hand with that kind of trick. Even if he'd let Fallon keep the baby back then, the child would have been raised outside the family, never in their home. He wasn't about to leave Octavia, not for anyone. On this, Latham had always been clear.
Now, though, things felt messy again. Running into Fallon, working with her, it was hard to say who was really in control anymore. Whenever Fallon brought up the child he never got to meet, guilt pricked at Latham, just for a second. But not enough to ever betray his family.
If Fallon wanted to pick up where they left off, he couldn't seem to fully say no. Maybe that was just how men were, always craving a little excitement, even when they knew it was a bad idea. Sometimes, Latham almost enjoyed feeling on edge, even though he knew Fallon had her own motives.
It felt like a constant chess match, each move more dangerous than the last. None
of them-him, Octavia, or Fallon-were easy opponents.
"Do you really think I can still believe you?" Octavia's voice shook, her eyes brimming with pain.
Latham's heart always softened when she looked at him like that. He moved to hold her, his voice gentle. "Octavia, I honestly don't know what else I can do to make you trust me."
"We're not young anymore. Why would I want to hurt you? Our son's about to get married. If I caused a scandal now, it would make everything so much messier."
“Octavia, there's nothing between Fallon and me.”
"What will it take for you to believe me?"
Octavia's eyes narrowed. "How am I supposed to just trust you?"
"You brought her to the company. People see you two coming and going together all the time. If something really is going on, how would I know?"
Latham was nearly begging now. "If you don't trust me, ask anyone at the office. Ask Wheeler. Ask... ask whomever you want-"
"They're all your people. Do you really think any of them would tell me the truth?" Octavia cut him off, her tone sharp.
Latham faltered. "So what do you want?"
He could already feel himself getting impatient. Whenever a man reached this point, it meant he was barely hanging on. If Octavia could give
right now, maybe it would blow over but if she couldn't, he would probably snap out of embarrassment or anger.
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"If you want me to trust you, there's a way."
Octavia met his gaze. "We've been married for most of our lives. You think anyone could stand being threatened by another woman, year after year21 can't live like this. need reassurance."
"We've gotten through more than twenty years together. But sometimes you make me feel like I'm a stranger, like you've already started moving on Tell met wrong."
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“What kind of reassurance do you want?" Latham asked. He didn't promise, didn't
refuse. He wanted her to say it first.
Octavia hesitated. "Give me a share of the company."
"I'm not asking for a lot. Five percent."
"These shares will belong to our children later anyway. Right now, I need you to show me you're really on my side."
"And Fallon... I want her
gone."
“She's a thorn in my side, always coming between us. You know that, right?”
Getting rid of Fallon would be easy enough, but the moment Octavia brought up five percent of the company, Latham's expression tightened.
He didn't want to think of his wife as greedy. He really didn't.